LibriVox recording of The Shadow of the Rope, by E. W. Hornung.
Read by Christine Dufour.

Rachel Minchin stands in the dock, accused of murdering the dissolute husband she was preparing to leave. The trial is sensational, and public opinion vehemently and almost universally against her. When the jury astonishes and outrages the world with a vedict of Not Guilty, Rachel quickly finds herself in need of protection. It comes in the form of a surprising offer of marriage from a mysterious stranger who has sat through every day of her trial. The marriage to this intriguing stranger, Mr. Steel, is by mutual agreement to be a platonic one, the only condition of which is that neither is ever to question the other about the past. The two travel to Steel’s remote country estate, where Rachel accidentally discovers that her second husband’s past was somehow intertwined with her first husband’s history – but how, exactly, and why he determined to marry her, Steel will not say. As her doubts about her husband increase, local busybodies threaten to unearth Rachel’s own past. And that is the least of the secrets that comes to light as this entertaining mystery unfolds. (Introduction by Christine Dufour)

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M4B audiobook of complete book


This audio is part of the collection: The LibriVox Free Audiobook Collection
It also belongs to collections: Audio Books & Poetry; Community Audio

Artist/Composer: E. W. Hornung
Date: 2010-07-25
Source: Librivox recording of a public-domain text
Keywords: librivox; audiobook; mystery; hornung; literature

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Timothy Ferguson - - November 15, 2011
Subject: Is it a Gothic romance or a tragedy?
You won't know until the last few minutes.

Reviewer: mikezane - - August 10, 2010
Subject: Excellent story
The summary pretty much covers the storyline. This book is unbelievable in its twists. You think it is going in one direction, and surprise! You are in a different direction all together. It was also very engrossing; I found myself wanting to keep listening at every opportunity.

The reader is very good; she has a nice voice that is clear and easy to follow. Enjoy!

Reviewer: aimzzz - - July 27, 2010
Subject: very excellent
The Shadow of the Rope has intriguing twists throughout-- good denouement followed by a non-classical ending. The reader is quite good-- she comes from the 3rd person perspective rather than taking on the roles.